Saturday, 31 May 2014

Before
seeing today's guests perform a brilliant performance on the first
date of their joint – Texas Takeover European Tour – with
Mothership. I was given the chance to interview Texas Stoner Metal
heroes – WO FAT.

I
met the guys outside Camden Underworld in London and we made a little
trek to a Chinese Buffet to conduct this cool face-to-face interview.
Not the most glamorous of places to carry out this interview but
Kent, Michael and Tim were kind enough to answer my questions. And
here is the interview that I carried out with one of the finest
Stoner Metal bands currently out there in the Stoner Metal scene.

Wo
Fat are about to release their eagerly awaited 5th
album – The Conjuring – on Small Stone Recordings. And trust me
folks when we say this is their best work yet. Full of epic riffs
that this great band are known for.

So
lets get started with this interview.

SL
– Thanks for doing this guys. You have a new a album coming out
soon. The Conjuring. What can people expect from it.

Kent
– It's a lot like The Black Code. We went a lot further with some
things. Maybe a little bit darker. Darker lyrically. Musically it's
the same but we are trying to stretch ourselves further.

SL
– Was it an harder or easier album to write and record for.

Kent
– I don't know but I think it's the quickest we ever recorded an
album. Less than a year from The Black Code. We recorded it really
fast. Song-writing was a lot quicker too.

SL
– You don't leave a lot of time to record in-between albums. Do you
always work that fast.

Kent
– With this album we wanted to ride on the momentum we built with
The Black Code and get at something pretty quick. Also we were coming
back to Europe and try to get it done for this tour which we just
barely did. We are probably going to take our time with the next
record.

SL
– You're thinking about the next record already.

Kent
– Yeah. Really. When we finished an album we always start thinking
about the next one.

SL
– The Black Code was your most acclaimed and successful release.
Did it surprise you.

Kent
– Yeah. That's when we signed with Small Stone and that's what we
were hoping for. Hoping to move upto the next level. The Black Code
did what we were hoping to do. We are hoping The Conjuring is even
bigger and better.

SL
– How did you hook up with Small Stone Records.

Kent
– Scott and I traded emails backwards and forwards. Working at some
supporting slots with bands coming through Dallas. Built a
relationship with him and I just approached and told him about The
Black Code. We
had all the songs written and knew we were going to have it done by a
certain time. So we told Scott - “We are looking for a label to put
this out on. Are you interested.”

And
it all worked out.

SL
– How did the band get together. Where did it all begin.

Kent
– Michael and I have known each other for over 20 years. We played
in a couple of other bands over the years. Tim and I worked in the
studio that we are now the owners of. That was in 2003 and I had some
ideas of doing some kind of Stonery Stuff. We talked about jamming.
It was pretty sporadic at first. We played every 3 months but it
became more and more serious. We didn't have any designs on anything
serious.

SL
– What's the song-writing process within the band.

Kent
– We all bring in our own ideas which are fully formed. We then jam
these ideas out and play them and I think of certain riffs to build
them into a better way.

SL
– You're now doing the Texas Takeover Tour with Mothership. How did
that came about.

Kent
– It happened when we did Roadburn and Desertfest in 2013 and I met
Jens who puts together Freak Valley Festival and we discussed
ourselves doing it this year. About a month or two later, Jens said
he would be inviting Mothership over and the idea was lets do a tour
together as they are friends of ours.

We
play with them a lot and I recorded their first album and their
second album too.

SL
– You're also known for your recording work. Are all 3 of you
involved with the recording side of things.

Kent
– All 3 of us own the studio. We all have different roles that we
play. Michael manages the place and takes care the business side of
things.

Michael
– They worked there for a while. I was an intern there 15 years
ago. I got sidetracked with family and everything. I started the ball
rolling for us by buying it from the last owner and secured that
deal. I can't engineer but I can manage the place with finances and
stuff.

Kent
– This is a place that has been in Dallas since 1979. Well
established studio that's got a hell of a reputation.

Michael
– Probably the longest and continuous studio currently running in
Dallas. We have a great client list. People who keep coming back.

Kent
– One of the main reasons we have to keep our tour short is because
of the running of the business. As we can't be away too long.

SL
– Do you have a main job for running the studio and participating
with Wo Fat.

Kent
– No. The studio is our main job for all of us.

Michael
– When we are gone, we have one employee besides ourselves. He is
very reliable. Wonderful guy who has been there for 13 years and he
takes care of everything. Our wives are there taking phone calls for
us. My wife asked me - “Am I going to get paid for this?”

I
told her - “Well if the studio goes under. Then No!!!”

Which
raises a big laugh for everyone around the table.

SL
– You have recorded a lot of artists in your studio over the years.
Any personal favourites or highlights.

Kent
– It's a lot of fun to record music that I like such as Mothership
and their first album. But we do a lot of variety such as Country,
Rock, Jazz and Gospel. For me it the music is good and people are
cool to hangout with then I am happy to work on any kind of music.

SL
– How did you all become involved with music.

Kent
– I grew up in a musical family and I didn't have plans to do
anything else. Engineering wasn't something I thought of in my
younger years. It kind of happened in my later life and what I
currently do now. Music has always been part of my life.

SL
– Who designed the album cover for The Conjuring.

Kent
– It was Alexander von Wieding who has designed The Black Code and
the re-issue of The Gathering Dark. He has done a great job. We
usually give him an idea for the concept and he goes away and designs
something for us.

SL
– Mothership used a kickstarter fund to come on the tour. Did you
do the same thing.

Kent
– We used a kickstarter fund last year. Without that we couldn't do
it as it's expensive to tour. This time we have managed to do it on
our own.

SL
– What are your thoughts on the entire crowd-funding process. Some
people are for it and some people are against it.

Kent
– I think it's great. I don't see why people are against it. It's
putting the power in the hands of the band. A lot of labels aren't
supporting bands tours any more. As much as we love Small Stone they
aren't paying for this tour as we are. That's the way for most bands
unless you're on a certain label or you're getting a lot of money.

SL
– You're starting the European Tour today. What is in store for
people. Are you playing new stuff and old stuff.

Kent
– We are playing a mixture of new stuff and stuff from the other
albums. Though it's primarily the new record. We try to create a
setlist that flows well and songs that we play well.

SL
– What dates are you looking forward to the most.

Kent
– We are looking forward to Freak Valley Festival the most. Should
be a lot of fun. Looking forward in seeing Blue Pills and Blood
Ceremony.

SL
– What are your plans after this tour. You planning a tour for the
United States.

Kent
– No. We are going to take some time off as we have been going for
over a year or so. We are busy with recording and working in the
studio.

SL
– I am surprised you're not touring the States especially when you
have a new record out. Is it because you have a bigger fanbase in
Europe.

Kent
– It's a couple of things. Partially it's that but it's harder to
tour in America. It's hard to make money and to cover expenses in the
States. It's almost not worth it.

Michael
– The drives are brutal there and they don't put you in a hotel or
stuff like they do over here. For a band that's is travelling around
and that's great. We just couldn't do it. And they buy merch over
here. Can't say enough about the European Crowds.

Kent
– We are trying to do some strategic shows here and there. We can't
tour more often with bands such as Mothership a it's not worth it for
us as we lose to much money.

SL
– Which bands are you currently digging at the moment.

Kent
– Church Of Misery is one of my fave bands. We saw them recently
last fall and they were amazing.

Tim
– They played on a Wednesday night in Dallas. It was a great show.
Orange Goblin came through recently as well.

SL
– How would you class your music as. Doom Metal, Stoner Metal or
Hard Rock.

Kent
– I always class it as Psychedelic Doom.

Michael
– Heavy Stoner Psychedelic.

Tim
– SWAMPADELIC!!!

Which
everyone laughs and agrees with.

Kent
– There you go. Lets go with – SWAMPADELIC!!!

SL
– You changed styles with The Black Code. Especially with the
Science Fiction aspect.

Kent
– I was trying to use a different kind of imagery that we used
before. Mainly to mix things up a bit. But it's still kind of the
same vibe with a lot of political statements.

Michael
– The Black Code. It's also more of a statement about being taking
over by a digital age. A s you come more disjointed and alienated
which fits the sci-fi angle of it all. It takes it out from the swamp
and into space.

SL
– Can people expect that with your new album – The Conjuring.

Kent
– It's a more apocalyptic really. Talking about where a lot of
things are at in the world. Climate Change. Things are seen to be
coming to ahead which is pretty frightening.

Michael
– It's not something happening to us. It's things that we our doing
to ourselves. Like The Black Code we are victims of things that we
creating ourselves. The whole idea of The Conjuring is that we are
THE CONJURING!!!

I
want to thank Wo Fat for taking the time out to talking to me before
the gig. Thanks to Todd at Ripple Music for helping me arrange this
interview.

I
should of interviewed today's guests a long time ago as they have
been one of the finest bands within the UK Sludge/Doom Metal scene
over the last few years.

They
have released a few EP's which has won them some acclaim with fans
and critics alike. But it's their eagerly awaited debut album –
HORRENDOSAURUS – which is going to take these filth ridden noise
terrorists onto the next level. As HORRENDOSAURUS is pure evil. Plain
and simple. Plus it's a brilliant debut album that has impressed the
hell out of us here at Sludgelord HQ.

Ladies
and Gentlemen, It's my honour to be interviewing GURT. You need more
info. OK how about a quick recap of my review of HORRENDOSAURUS.

“HORRENDOSAURUS
has a killer charm of it's own. GURT stay loud through out the entire
album so you don't have to worry of there being a “LIGHTER/MOBILE
IN THE AIR” type song as that ain't GURT's style. The band stay
pissed off through out as they unleash a barrage of brutal songs to
rock out to. Tracks such as Horrendosaurus, Eve's Droppings and
Hoboreaper have a constant supply of dangerous riffs which the band
expertly delivers time and time again.

If
Gareth isn't scaring the hell out of you with his impressive death
based growls then the action packed riffage the band lay down will
have you begging for more. This is one hell of an impressive debut
album. I haven't stopped listening to it since I received a copy to
review.

This
album is meant to be played as loud as you can. Who gives a fuck if
it upsets your neighbours. Tell em you're partying with GURT and
their monster of a record called HORRENDOSAURUS. And they ain't
fucking invited. If the afterlife does indeed sound like this then I
may never want to leave!!!!”

You
will be hearing a lot more from GURT over the next few months as with
their debut album release they are supporting Canadian Doom/Sludge
Metal overlords – DOPETHRONE. Now that is going to be one hell of a
fucking line-up. You can feel the pain now!!!

Anyway
this is GURT's time. So lets get started.

Q1
– Hi guys. Thanks for doing this. How are things with you all
today.

Busy,
stressed but excited! Lots to do yet a load more to look forward to
over the coming months!

Q2
– Can you tell our readers a brief history on how the band started
and where it is today.

To
keep it very brief we started in 2010 with a different line up, our
original Guitarist Jamie McCathie and Bassist John Hughes now live
abroad but the 4 of us created the band as we all like Iron Monkey
and wanted to do something new (all but Gareth were previously in a
blues rock band called ROWSE) Rich and Spicy joined the band in 2012
and have been awesome ever since. We have all been friends since the
beginning and although we have Jamie based in America now he still is
a big part of the band and helps with our writing process and we were
lucky enough last year to play a show with him and Rich in Paris so
we hope to do more work in the future with both guitarists but as you
can guess the trans Atlantic thing does not help much! We also have
Bill Jacobs (of Diesel King) that helps us out on drums now and then
so he is also part of the GURT family too…

Q3
– So. How would you describe your sound. You must be sick of me
calling you Doom/Sludge Metal. Or is that a pretty accurate term for
you all.

That
is probably best, we are most definitely a Sludge band but we have a
vast range of influences, someone once referred to us as PARTY DOOM
which we liked the sound of. We consider ourselves a bit more upbeat
and fun compared to most of our peers so that what we most want to be
known for!

Q4
– How did you all become involved with music.

Rich,
Simo and Spicy all have a history of being in other bands over the
years and have played instruments for many many years where as Gareth
has blagged it…

Q5
– Why the name GURT. Any specific meaning behind it.

Yes,
simple meaning really… it’s a Bristolian slang term for MASSIVE
or GREAT!!!

It’s
not all the other stupid meanings that’s you see on Urban
Dictionary.

Q6
– So lets get talking about your new album. HORRENDOSARUS. What a
brilliant album it is. Was it a hard or easy album to write and
record for.

Writing
is fairly easy for us in that we are all on the same page and nothing
is over thought or overcomplicated. So the album came together pretty
quick, a riff will be brought to the table and we will all work on it
until it something fun is created! We think the worst thing people
can do is over work something or try to deliberately write something
that is DOOM or SLUDGE as it will be fairly obvious that it is
forced. Most of the songs on HORRENDOSAURUS sound so different from
each other and that is just how it is, we never intend something to
sound a certain way.

Q7
– It's been a long time coming as GURT have released a few EP's
over the years. Why the long wait. Plus I bet your glad the album is
finally being released upon to the world.

EPs
cost a lot less to produce and we do everything ourselves so it’s
that simple really. We are more bothered on getting stuff out quickly
but we felt it was about time we did a full length and we worked hard
on ensuring we had the money to put out the best release we could, so
its feels amazing to know we achieved what we could for ourselves. We
just hope the rest of you like it too!

Q8
– What is the overall concept of the album for people that haven't
heard it. As it's one mean angry pissed off album. I love the first
track - “Gardening
with Cthulhu”.
That insane speech. WOW. Where did you find that soundclip.

For
me (Gareth) lyrically it’s a collection of songs about angry and
nasty things or situations but done in as fun a way as possible so I
guess that is a concept in a way. Gardening
with Cthulhu is
literally about gardening but put together in such a way that it
sounds like some bleak end of the world situation from which no one
can escape, but its actually about harvesting a crop of Peas! The
sample was found by Simo online from some mental Evangelical dude.

Q9
– Which bands and artists influenced you as musicians. Any
particular band or album that stand out.

Everything
from the obvious like Weedeater to Sabbath, but the best are the more
obscure influences that we have that add a different sound to our
band Primus, The Tiger Lillies, Mike Patton, Pink Floyd to name but a
few and Gareth is a massive Nu Metal fan which we don’t talk about
much!

Q10
– Love the album cover. Who designed the cover and how much input
did you have with overall design.

The
legend that is Dominic Sohor is the man that did our cover, we have
worked with him on 2 of our best selling shirts (one of which was a
limited design for Desertfest 2013) and we have noticed that a lot of
other bands in our scene have started going to him now for work to be
done, watch out as he is getting a lot more work in and we really
expect him to get very big as his work is so amazingly detailed and
he works damn hard too! We have as much input as we want into what it
looks like but we trust him 100% to come up with something awesome so
we leave him to it.

Q11
– What is the song-writing process in the band. Is it down to one
individual or is it a group collective.

Always
collectively, everyone has their say and if we don’t all agree it
gets scrapped.

Q12
– How big of a help has BandCamp and the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal
community been in promoting your music.

Massively,
as we are DIY all the way sites like Bandcamp allow us to look after
our own back catalogue and control all the funds (if any) that we get
from putting our material out there. As for the community, everyone
helps each other out and that is vital from the larger London
promoters like Desertscene and Human disease who we have been good
friends with for a fair few years to the newer breed like the
Southern Doom Crew in Bournemouth or Submerge and FOAD in Manchester
we all keep in contact and we all help each other in ensuring the
scene (and our music) thrives the best way it can!

Q13
– What is your verdict on the current state of the UK
Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal scene. It has been thriving over the last
few years. Can you see this continuing or do you see a natural
decline when you're performing gigs at home or on the road.

Its
beyond amazing and only going to get bigger if everyone works
together, the bands like ourselves that have been around for a few
years are now getting friends in Europe and beyond which is opening
the doors to more exciting areas so if it carries on this way we
can’t see it declining anytime soon.

Q14
– Gareth. More a question for you. The album is being released on
your own label. When Planets Collide. How did you get started with
that. The Label and PR Side of things. As you have released a ton of
records by other bands this year. Plus is it a hard task combining
your work with the label and the band.

When
I started WPC it was (and still is) a way of giving newer bands a
chance to play gigs with other like minded bands and help make the
community grow. So the label I started with exactly the same ethos,
obviously it was there to help GURT grow as a band too but bands that
are starting out don’t have much support so I hope that a label
like mine can give bands a hand with getting their material to an
audience that’s knows that they are likely to enjoy what they hear.
BUT yes it is VERY hard work and I can see myself having a nervous
breakdown in the next few years ha ha!! I love it and would not
change it for the world but work a 9-5 day job so ideally it would be
nice to put all my effort into the band and label. But I guess thats
the dream for everyone right?

Q15
– What is your musical set-up when playing live or recording your
music. Any hints and tips would you like to give to the budding
musicians out there.

Q16
– We are massive Vinyl Heads here at Sludgelord. Are you vinyl fans
yourselves.

Yes
very much so and Gareth and Rich in particular spend way too much
money on buying vinyl … but with pressing vinyl comes a lot of
stress!

We
have already had a 7 inch split with Dopefight out which is now long
sold out and have the album out on vinyl too so can’t wait to get
that in our hands!!

Q17
– Do you guys perform a lot of gigs in your home town or do you
have to travel further afield to perform regularly.

We
play a fair few shows in London but we are lucky enough to have
played in many other towns and cities in the UK and Europe and
obviously we have this 21 date tour coming up! We have more plans to
do longer tours with our first full UK tour being planned for early
2015.

Q18
– Plus you have a European Tour supporting DOPETHRONE coming up.
How did that come about. And what can people expect from those shows
when they see you live in action.

We
played a show in Paris last year for Stoned Gatherings and the
promoter is also a booking agent (Dead Pig Booking) he loved what we
do and we got on well so he has come on board as our European booking
agent and literally a couple of weeks after the show he offered us
this, as you can guess we were well up for it! With this being our
first time in many new cities we are going above and beyond with
these guys getting to be the first to see songs from our new album
being played live, its going to be MEGA!

Q19
– What is your verdict on the whole crowd-funding scene. Where
bands ask fans to fund their next album. Are you a fan of that
platform. Would yourselves ever go down this route.

It’s
very funny you should ask this question as we were very very close to
actually using Pledge music to fund this album, with us being
unsigned and DIY we thought it would be a great idea but when we
worked out the math (they take 15% commission for doing very little)
we thought it may be a risk but should we just put up the money
ourselves and hope that we get enough pre-orders from our fans to
mean that we don’t have to lose too much money before it is
released. And fortunately for us IT WORKED!! We have had an
overwhelming response and because of the various options we had on
our bigcartel we made more than enough money to cover everything and
for that we can’t thank our fans enough…

Q20
– If you could give any advice to someone wanting to start a band.
What would it be.

Be
patient, work hard and do everything yourself!! DIY FOR LIFE!!!

Q21
– The last thing before you go, Do you have anything else to say to
your fans.

Thank
you for the support, thank you for helping us release this album into
the world, Come see us on tour, buy some merch and say hi!

Well
guys. Thanks for doing this. All the best with HORRENDOSAURUS and the
forthcoming tour with DOPETHRONE.

Seattle
trio, Old Iron, started writing material in May of 2011. Consisting
of Jesse Roberts (guitar/vocals), Trent McIntyre (drums), and Jerad
Shealey (bass) they self released their 1st full length entitled
“Cordyceps” on Feb. 20th, 2014 and are currently working on a
follow up album.

So when you have
members from bands such as Sandrider, The Helm, X Suns and Ruby Doe.
You expect something special. I am happy to report that Old Iron are
a band you all need to check out as their debut album – Cordyceps –
is a blistering debut album that sounds like a dark and distorted
offspring of Neurosis, Isis, Cave-In and EyeHateGod.

It's a superb debut
album that will have you coming back for more punishment. Opening
track – Lerna – is a doomy based track full of dangerous
psychedelic riffs with a dark twisted edge that will push your body
to the very edge of insanity. It has a slow brooding aura that slowly
builds up for one epic battle of riffs.

The album doesn't stray
from the heavy and violent sounds of the opening track for the
remainder of the album. Old Iron slowly build up the creepy
atmosphere with haunting riffs with each passing second and it makes
you feel your drowning in a sea of emotion that is very hard to
escape from. Old Iron is very different compared to the members other
more established bands. Old Iron is where the guys can unleash all of
their violent creativity upon to the world.

Tracks such as
Cordyceps and Ahnighito show you a band with a truly atmospheric and
apoclyptical vision that will scare the living hell out of you. A
very powerful band indeed. Old Iron are equally creative on the
shorter paced tracks Haruspex and The Pineal Gate. Both tracks
combining epic riffs and emotionally involved lyrics that pack quite
a punch.

The album ends on a
powerful end with the 10-minute plus stunning track – Fractal Storm
– that starts very slowly with quiet riffs and post-rock doom and
gloom vibes before exploding into a loud wall of noise you cannot
turn away from. Play this track very loud as it will get your heart
pumping in no time at all.

Old Iron have delivered
a truly stunning debut album which I recommend everyone check out
now. If you need you're faith restored in Post-Metal music then Old
Iron is the band for you.

“Seeking
to lay waste in an environment already dissolute, Nomad are a 4 piece
Sludge/Doom band bred from Manchester and other likewise holes,
incorporating elements from across the spectrum with the vague
purpose of sending you on a bad trip or at least maiming you along
the way.

We
wish to bring our brand of sludge to unsuspecting and unfortunate
concert goers everywhere.

The
Band Members

Lewis
Atkinson:6 strings of doom

Hayley
McIntyre: battery

Rev.
Drian Nash: dry lung vocal martyr

John
C: low end

Review:

Here is another stellar
release from UK Record Label – When Planets Collide – who have
already released some stunning records this year. Now they are
releasing Nomad's excellent debut EP – The House Is Dead. A
Sludge/Doom Metal band influenced by the legendary NOLA scene though
with a few more other bands thrown in for good measure.

If you want a heavy as
fuck brutal experience to mess up your entire day then – The House
Is Dead – is the release for you. Bone-crunching guitar riffs
combined with the mighty Rev. Drian Nash's almost indescribable
guttural vocals adding a dangerous edge to the bands music.

Slaves To Mourning
feels it was created in the legendary NOLA swamps and not Manchester
from where the band actually come from. It's an epic track full of
the right ingredients for all you hard-rocking Sludge/Doom Metal
fans. It's a slow-paced track with flashes of progressive riffs
lurching in the background. This song is perfect Sludge/Doom/Stoner
Metal music to relax your nerves to after a hard day at work.

Nomad continue their
journey of heavy sludge style pile-driver riffage that will seriously
entertain the living hell out of you. Tracks such as Still Falling
Rain and The Pilgrim show that this band have something about them.
It may not be the most original of sounds but what is these days.
Nomad play to their strengths in writing kick-ass tunes which have
plenty of menace to them. And it all counts where it matters. RIFFS
and this release is full of them.

Nomad have created a
stellar EP for people to check out. Lets see what the future holds
for these hugely talented demented Sludge Rockers.

USA
Out Of Vietnam have paired with Aurora Borealis to release their
auspicious début Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes.

Their
musical influences are both transparent and widespread, and include
black metal, doom, drone, minimalist composition, sludge, noise, post
rock, shoe-gaze, dream pop, nineties psychedelia and classic
seventies radio dial pop. Particularly transparent is this love of
pop music, dense seventies-style production, and harmonized vocals
that swerves around hairpin turns. If you really wanted to try to
harness this slippery eel you could say that the band’s sound is as
equally informed by the stacked production and pop savvy of Jeff
Lynne’s E.L.O. as it is by the crushing heavy drones of Sunn O)))).

On
their début, USA Out of Vietnam proudly boast of their love of lush
harmony and infectious melody but also like to push past the 3 minute
traditional pop format with 10 minute epics - psychedelic, in the
truest sense of the word.

With
over 15 guest musicians appearing on Crashing Diseases and Incurable
Airplanes (including Montreal singer/songwriter Patrick Watson who
contributes treated vocal loops on two songs here), their début is
vast in it's scope, and abundant with rich sounds. Brass sections
elbow up to detuned and distorted Marshall stacked guitars, spoken
word sections appear in unlikely spaces, vocoder vocals appear within
breaths of angelic choir vocals, vintage synth and sampled noises
hover over lush string sections while a piano beds down with crushing
Swans-style pummeling. The lyrics across the album mirrors the sound
that surrounds them, with themes grasping towards redemption that
search for a sliver of light hiding in the darkness.

Crashing
Diseases and Incurable Airplanes slowly reels the listener in as
opposed to attacking them with ballast and decibels. USA Out of
Vietnam have created an enveloping and vivid piece of work - but
flush that incense and peppermint flotsam out of your head because
USA Out of Vietnam insist that this trip is for real.

The
Band Members

El
Tigre, Fogman, Jordan Thomas Brown III, Son of Fogman, Blankie

Review:

USA Out Of Vietnam are
a sell-proclaimed – Heavy, Psych, Doom, Epic Drone Pop band. And
that's a very cool description to describe their unique and
spellbinding new album - Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes. A
mind-expanding hallucinogenic trippy ride that lasts for almost 60
mins or so.

First track –
Archangel – channels the pop sensibility of ELO mixed with the
heavy and hazy riffs of SLEEP jamming with Sunn 0))) – with heavy
digitized vocals telling a spellbinding story that only propels your
mind, body and soul into a sea of tranquillity.

I am not going to do a
track by track review even if there are only 5 tracks but the first
track – Archangel – justifies why this band have such an awesome
reputation already. If you want thought provoking music elevated into
greatness by heavy drone epic riffs then this this album has it all.

It's one of the most
creative and unique sounding records I have heard in any year not
just 2014. USA Out Of Vietnam write brilliant, quirky and catchy as
hell doom pop tunes with slabs of Sludge Rock, Noise, Drone and 70s
Classic Stadium Rock all holding it together.

If you're not
physically moved by the dreamy riffs of – You Are A Comet, You Are
On Fire – then you're either emotionally closed off or you're not
breathing. Either way this song is pure harmonic pop perfection. Each
band member bringing their own unique style to the party with all of
them showing some highly impressive musical talent.

The album cover gives a
strong indicator on what to expect on the album. The album does have
it's fair share of dark nightmarish moments as well. So don't go
expecting uplifting vibes all the way through as the band do have a
darker creative side which they do show from time to time especially
on the later stages of the album.

This is an album that
will require multiple listens to get the full effect as it's an
expansive journey with many hidden meanings and gems to discover
within the musical madness currently going on. An incredible and
richly rewarding experience that you rarely come across.

Thursday, 29 May 2014

Philip Anselmo | Vocals, guitar on
"Pray for the Locust", mandolin on "Jail"

Pepper Keenan | Guitar

Kirk Windstein | Guitar, bass

Jimmy Bower | Drums

Additional musicians

Todd Strange | Whistle at the beginning of Lifer
& bass (credited, does not perform)

Ross Karpelman | Keyboards on
"Jail"

Lil' Daddy and Sid Montz | percussion on
"Jail"

Lil' Daddy | Water pipe solo on "Hail
the Leaf"

Review : When I first heard
NOLA by Down it was 1995, I was a big fan of Pantera and had been into more
extreme death metal fair for some time. My band was gradually mutating from
unlistenable juvenile noise into standard (very, very standard) death metal and
I was searching for something more aligned with my Sabbath worship of the day.
NOLA was just the sound I was looking for. Even now I would rank this record in
any nominal “top ten records of all time” list (along with about twenty other
albums!).

Temptations Wings kicks things off with an open hi hat and a MONSTROUS guitar sound. The bass
is low in the mix, but audible, the drums very live and raw sounding. Anselmo’s
vocals were different from anything in the Pantera discography up to that point
and showcased his versatility and the range he possessed. His tone is primal,
yet somehow bluesy and even relaxed in places. The band is in full flow. The
term ‘supergroup’ does not do the sound justice.

On first hearing
NOLA I had heard of COC and EHG but not actually heard them- I had heard
Crowbar, but music was expensive back then, so had not purchased any of their
(hard to find in Grimsby!) work. I instantly drew a direct line from Sabbath to
Down and time has proved me right. There is most definitely a connection
between Sabbath’s first four and this mighty work- instrumental tracks, heavy riffs,
ballad type tracks and that intangible thing: “vibe”. Down have yet to equal
this album, in my opinion, and I doubt they ever will.

It is, in the
parlance of many people who have written and spoken about metal, a SEMINAL
album. Front to back, the record is superb. Lifer is an absolute anthem
with riffs to die for, Pillars of Eternity has the drum intro, Eyes
Of The South brought the Southern connection into my consciousness (and led
me to explore Skynyrd, Crowbar and so on at a later date) while Hail The
Leaf was an anthem of a different kind. Losing All had Phil’s intro
and gratitude at the end, sandwiching massive riffs and hooks in-between.

Of course, the album
is perhaps best known for Stone The Crow- and rightly so. It is an
excellent piece of music, utilising the quiet-loud ballad dynamic but in a very
different way. This was Southern rock, this was downcast blues and it had a
direct lineage with the most classic of bands from Sabbath to Zeppelin to
Purple to Skynyrd.

Anselmo’s vocals on
this record are, for me, the best of his career. Brutal screams, smoke soaked
crooning and powerful singing are all present and Phil uses double tracking and
all the tricks of the trade to really showcase his fearsome vocal ability.
Thus, the album has often been thought of as Phil Anselmo and friends (and this
is certainly how it was portrayed in the press at the time)- a view reinforced
by Anselmo’s later proclamations that he was responsible for a good deal of the
music contained therein as well as lyrics and melodies.

Swansong has always been a highlight for me- great lyrics and structure- before the
finale of Bury Me In Smoke and its huge riffs. When I listen to this
album, no tracks get skipped- it is a wholly satisfying tour through the seedy
underbelly of Louisiana living and represents a musical highpoint for all those
concerned- and that is some statement bearing in mind what those involved
released before and after. Even the instrumental/low key pieces convey the
oppressive heat and mugginess of the deep South and are hugely evocative.

In short, NOLA
manages to exceed the sum of its parts, which in itself is an incredible
musical feat. It stands as a definitive record in the 90’s
stoner/Sabbath/sludge/doom canon and no doubt acted as a gateway for many
people who are now in name bands and moving the genre(s) forward. That it is
now nearly twenty years old is difficult for me to grasp. It is as old now as
Sabotage was when I first heard NOLA- and that was a record which seemed to be
form another time and place to my young ears. NOLA has not dated in any way.
The mythical top ten albums of all time is impossible for me to compile, but
that said... this album would always be in my top two. Gimme some medicine!

Words & Recommendation : Richard Maw

Album
Details :

NOLA is the debut
album of Down. It was released on September 19, 1995. The title is the
abbreviation for New Orleans (N.O.), Louisiana (La.).

Band Submissions

To those bands who have recently issued their first demo or album via bandcamp and would like to be featured on our 666 Pack Review or considered for a full review or stream please contact Aaron via email including your EPK, band bio, album file or download code, including artwork.

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We will consider bands from any genre but exclusively stoner, sludge, doom, psych, post-metal, experimental, black-metal etc. (Whilst I would like to respond to every email, this is not always possible.) Thanks